Divine Office Office of Readings

Mar 20, Invitatory for Friday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Antiphon: 1043 Psalm: 1126 Christian Prayer: Antiphon: 687 Psalm: 728 Lord, open my lips. —And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Psalm 24 The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things, who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Who is the king of glory? The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, the Lord, the valiant in war. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Who is he, the king of glory? He, the Lord of armies, he is the king of glory. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

Mar 20, Office of Readings for Friday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 320 Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 1587 Office of Readings for Friday of the 4th Week of Lent God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me by the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of my Lord for ever. 𝄞"Psalm 23" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss [https://divineoffice.org/melinda-kirigin-voss/] • Available on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/yesterday-today-and-forever/id418013978] • Text from Psalm 23 King James Version; Used wih permission • Albums that contain this Hymn: Yesterday, Today, and Forever Ant. 1 Our fathers have told us of the Lord’s power; they have recounted for us his marvelous deeds. Psalm 78:1-39 Salvation history reveals the goodness of God and the faithlessness of his people These events are recalled as a warning to us (1 Corinthians 10:6). I Give heed, my people, to my teaching; turn your ear to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable and reveal hidden lessons of the past. The things we have heard and understood, the things our fathers have told us, these we will not hide from their children but will tell them to the next generation: the glories of the Lord and his might and the marvelous deeds he has done, the witness he gave to Jacob, the law he established in Israel. He gave a command to our fathers to make it known to their children that the next generation might know it, the children yet to be born. They too should arise and tell their sons that they too should set their hope in God and never forget God’s deeds but keep every one of his commands, so that they might not be like their fathers, a defiant and rebellious race, a race whose heart was fickle, whose spirit was unfaithful to God. The sons of Ephraim, armed with the bow, turned back in the day of battle. They failed to keep God’s covenant and would not walk according to his law. They forgot the things he has done, the marvelous deeds he had shown them. He did wonders in the sight of their fathers, in Egypt, in the plains of Zoan. He divided the sea and led them through and made the waters stand up like a wall. By day he led them with a cloud, by night, with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the desert. He gave them plentiful drink as from the deep. He made streams flow out from the rock and made waters run down like rivers. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Our fathers have told us of the Lord’s power; they have recounted for us his marvelous deeds. Ant. 2 The children of Israel ate the manna and drank from the spiritual rock which followed after them. II Yet still they sinned against him; they defied the Most High in the desert. In their heart they put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. They even spoke against God. They said: Is it possible for God to prepare a table in the desert? It was he who struck the rock, water flowed and swept down in torrents. But can he also give us bread? Can he provide meat for his people?” When he heard this the Lord was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, his anger rose against Israel for having no faith in God; for refusing to trust in his help. Yet he commanded the clouds above and opened the gates of heaven. He rained down manna for their food, and gave them bread from heaven. Mere men ate the bread of angels. He sent them abundance of food; he made the east wind blow from heaven and roused the south wind by his might. He rained food on them like dust, winged fowl like the sands of the sea. He let it fall in the midst of their camp and all around their tents. So they ate and had their fill; and he gave them all they craved. But before they had sated their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, God’s anger rose against them. He slew the strongest among them, struck down the flower of Israel. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. The children of Israel ate the manna and drank from the spiritual rock which followed after them. Ant. 3 They remembered that God was their helper and redeemer. III Despite this they went on sinning; they had no faith in his wonders: so he ended their days like a breath and their years in sudden ruin. When he slew them then they would seek him, return and seek him in earnest. They would remember that God was their rock, God the Most High their redeemer. But the words they spoke were mere flattery; they lied to him with their lips. For their hearts were not truly with him; they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he who is full of compassion forgave them their sin and spared them. So often he held back his anger when he might have stirred up his rage. He remembered they were only men, a breath that passes never to return. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Shepherd of your Church, in order to strengthen our faith and to lead us to the kingdom, you renewed and far surpassed the marvels of the old law. Through the uncertainties of this earthly journey, lead us home to the everlasting pastures. Ant. They remembered that God was their helper and redeemer. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Turn back to the Lord your God. — He is kind and merciful. READINGS First reading From the book of Numbers 14:1-25 The murmuring of the people and the intervention of Moses The whole community broke out with loud cries, and even in the night the people wailed. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, the whole community saying to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that here in the desert we were dead! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land only to have us fall by the sword? Our wives and little ones will be taken as booty. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.” But Moses and Aaron fell prostrate before the whole assembled community of the Israelites; while Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, who had been in the party that scouted the land, tore their garments and said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The country which we went through and explored is a fine, rich land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us in and give us that land, a land flowing with milk and honey. But do not rebel against the Lord! You need not be afraid of the people of that land; they are but food for us! Their defense has left them, but the Lord is with us. Therefore, do not be afraid of them.” In answer, the whole community threatened to stone them. But then the glory of the Lord appeared at the meeting tent to all the Israelites. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn me? How long will they refuse to believe in me, despite all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them with pestilence and wipe them out. Then I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” But Moses said to the Lord: “Are the Egyptians to hear of this? For by your power you brought out this people from among them. And are they to tell of it to the inhabitants of this land? It has been heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people; you, Lord, who plainly reveal yourself! Your cloud stands over them, and you go before them by day in a column of cloud and by night in a column of fire. If now you slay this whole people, the nations who have heard such reports of you will say, ‘The Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them; that is why he slaughtered them in the desert.’ “Now then, let the power of my Lord be displayed in its greatness, even as you have said, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and rich in kindness, forgiving wickedness and crime; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness.’ Pardon, then, the wickedness of this people in keeping with your great kindness, even as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.” The Lord answered: “I pardon them as you have asked. Yet, by my life and the Lord’s glory that fills the whole earth, of all the men who have seen my glory and the signs I worked in Egypt and in the desert, and who nevertheless have put me to the test ten times already and have failed to heed my voice, not one shall see the land which I promised on oath to their fathers. None of these who have spurned me shall see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me unreservedly, I will bring him into the land where he has just been, and his descendants shall possess it. But now, since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn away tomorrow and set out in the desert on the Red Sea road.” RESPONSORY Psalm 103:8, 9, 13, 14 The Lord is merciful and loving, slow to anger and full of compassion. He will not always reprove us; his wrath will come to an end. — As tenderly as a father treats his children, the Lord treats those who stand in awe of him. He knows what we are made of, he remembers that we are dust. — As tenderly as a father treats his children, the Lord treats those who stand in awe of him. Second reading From an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop The paschal sacrament brings together in unity of faith those physically separated from each other Brethren, how fine a thing it is to move from festival to festival, from prayer to prayer, from holy day to holy day. The time is now at hand when we enter on a new beginning: the proclamation of the blessed Passover, in which the Lord was sacrificed. We feed as on the food of life, we constantly refresh our souls with his precious blood, as from a fountain. Yet we are always thirsting, burning to be satisfied. But he himself is present for those who thirst and in his goodness invites them to the feast day. Our Savior repeats his words: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He quenched the thirst not only of those who came to him then. Whenever anyone seeks him he is freely admitted to the presence of the Savior. The grace of the feast is not restricted to one occasion. Its rays of glory never set. It is always at hand to enlighten the mind of those who desire it. Its power is always there for those whose minds have been enlightened and who meditate day and night on the holy Scriptures, like the one who is called blessed in the holy psalm: Blessed is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or stood where sinners stand, or sat in the seat of the scornful, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. Moreover, my friends, the God who first established this feast for us allows us to celebrate it each year. He who gave up his Son to death for our salvation, from the same motive gives us this feast, which is commemorated every year. This feast guides us through the trials that meet us in this world. God now gives us the joy of salvation that shines out from this feast, as he brings us together to form one assembly, uniting us all in spirit in every place, allowing us to pray together and to offer common thanksgiving, as is our duty on the feast. Such is the wonder of his love: he gathers to this feast those who are far apart, and brings together in unity of faith those who may be physically separated from each other. RESPONSORY Zephaniah 3:8, 9; John 12:32 Wait for me, says the Lord, wait for the day when I shall rise again. — I will purify the lips of all peoples on that day that they may call upon the name of the Lord, and unite in serving him. When I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself. — I will purify the lips of all peoples on that day that they may call upon the name of the Lord, and unite in serving him. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who have prepared fitting helps for us in our weakness, grant, we pray, that we may receive their healing effects with joy and reflect them in a holy way of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

Mar 21, Office of Readings for Saturday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 328 Psalter: Saturday, Week IV, 1606 Office of Readings for Saturday of the 4th week of Lent God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN Ave Maria, gratia plena Dominus tecum Benedicta tu in mulieribus Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus Sancta Maria, Mater Dei Ora pro nobis peccatoribus Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae Amen. English Translation: Hail Mary, full of grace The Lord is with thee Blessed are thou among women Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus Holy Mary, Mother of God Pray for us sinners Now, and at the hour of our death Amen. 𝄞"Ave Maria" by Gretchen Harris [http://www.gretchen-harris.com] • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/Ave-Maria-CHANT-Mode-I-DivOfcOrg-C-orig.pdf] • Title: Ave Maria (Chant); Album: Sing of Mary; Music; Plainsong mode I; vocal: Gretchen Harris; Used with permission; Visit and thank Gretch at http://www.gretchen-harris.com; PSALMODY Ant. 1 The Lord delivered his people from the oppressor. Psalm 78:40-72 Salvation history reveals the goodness of God and the faithlessness of his people These events are recalled as a warning to us (1 Corinthians 10:6). IV How often they defied him in the wilderness and caused him pain in the desert! Yet again they put God to the test and grieved the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his deeds nor the day he saved them from the foe; when he worked his miracles in Egypt, his wonders in the plains of Zoan: when he turned their rivers into blood, made their streams impossible to drink. He sent dog-flies against them to devour them and swarms of frogs to molest them. He gave their crops to the grub, the fruit of their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore trees with frost. He gave up their cattle to plague, Their flocks and herds to pestilence. He turned on them the heat of his anger, fury, rage and havoc, a troop of destroying angels. He gave free course to his anger. He did not spare them from death but gave their lives to the plague. He struck all the first born in Egypt, the finest flower in the dwellings of Ham. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. The Lord delivered his people from the oppressor. Ant. 2 The Lord led his people to his holy mountain. V Then he brought forth his people like sheep; he guided his flock in the desert. He led them safely with nothing to fear, while the sea engulfed their foes. So he brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had won. He drove out the nations before them, and divided the land for their heritage. Their tents he gave as a dwelling to each one of Israel’s tribes. Still they put God to the proof and defied him; they refused to obey the Most High. They strayed, as faithless as their fathers, like a bow on which the archer cannot count. With their mountain shrines they angered him; made him jealous with the idols they served. God saw and was filled with fury: he utterly rejected Israel. He forsook his dwelling place in Shiloh, the tent where he lived among men. He gave his ark into captivity, his glorious ark into the hands of the foe. He gave up his people to the sword, in his anger against his chosen ones. So war devoured their young men, their maidens had no wedding songs; their priests fell by the sword and their widows made no lament. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. The Lord led his people to his holy mountain. Ant. 3 The Lord chose the tribe of Judah, and David, his servant, to shepherd Israel, his chosen people. VI Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, like a warrior overcome with wine. He struck his foes from behind and put them to everlasting shame. He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim but he chose the tribe of Judah, the hill of Zion which he loves. He built his shrine like the heavens, or like the earth which he made firm for ever. And he chose David his servant and took him away from the sheepfolds. From the care of the ewes he called him to be shepherd of Jacob his people, of Israel his own possession. He tended them with blameless heart, with discerning mind he led them. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer For your people, Lord Jesus, you bring water from the rock and rain bread from heaven; you forgive sins with limitless generosity. Do not let us be marked by unfaithfulness, as in days of old, but grant that the covenant you sealed with your blood may merit us a place with you in your kingdom. Ant. The Lord chose the tribe of Judah, and David, his servant, to shepherd Israel, his chosen people. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. The man of God welcomes the light. — So that all may see that his deeds are true. READINGS First reading From the book of Numbers 20:1-13; 21:4-9 The waters of Meribah. The bronze serpent The whole Israelite community arrived in the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled at Kadesh. It was here that Miriam died, and here that she was buried. As the community had no water, they held a council against Moses and Aaron. The people contended with Moses, exclaiming, “Would that we too had perished with our kinsmen in the Lord’s presence! Why have you brought the Lord’s community into this desert where we and our livestock are dying? Why did you lead us out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place which has neither grain nor figs nor vines nor pomegranates? Here there is not even water to drink!” But Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the entrance of the meeting tent, where they fell prostrate. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord said to Moses, “Take the staff and assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron, and in their presence order the rock to yield its waters. From the rock you shall bring forth water for the community and their livestock to drink.” So Moses took the staff from its place before the Lord, as he was ordered. He and Aaron assembled the community in front of the rock, where he said to them, “Listen to me, you rebels! Are we to bring water for you out of this rock?” Then, raising his hand, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff, and water gushed out in abundance for the community and their livestock to drink. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you were not faithful to me in showing forth my sanctity before the Israelites, you shall not lead this community into the land I will give them.” These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites contended against the Lord, and where he revealed his sanctity among them. From Mount Hor they set out on the Red Sea road, to bypass the land of Edom. But with their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” In punishment the Lord sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you. Pray the Lord to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover.” Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered. RESPONSORY John 3:14, 15, 17 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, — so that all who believe in him, may have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save it. — So that all who believe in him, may have eternal life. Second reading From the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council All human activity is to find its purification in the paschal mystery Holy Scripture, with which the experience of the ages is in agreement, teaches the human family that human progress, though it is a great blessing for man, brings with it a great temptation. When the scale of values is disturbed and evil becomes mixed with good, individuals and groups consider only their own interests, not those of others. The result is that the world is not yet a home of true brotherhood, while the increased power of mankind already threatens to destroy the human race itself. If it is asked how this unhappy state of affairs can be set right, Christians state their belief that all human activity, in daily jeopardy through pride and inordinate self-love, is to find its purification and its perfection in the cross and resurrection of Christ. Man, redeemed by Christ and made a new creation in the Holy Spirit, can and must love the very things created by God. For he receives them from God, and sees and reveres them as coming from the hand of God. As he gives thanks for them to his Benefactor, and uses and enjoys them in a spirit of poverty and freedom, he enters into true possession of the world, as one having nothing and possessing all things. For all things are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. The Word of God, through whom all things were made, himself became man and lived in the world of men. As perfect man he has entered into the history of the world, taking it up into himself and bringing it into unity as its head. He reveals to us that God is love, and at the same time teaches us that the fundamental law of human perfection, and therefore of the transformation of the world, is the new commandment of love. He assures those who have faith in God’s love that the way of love is open to all men, and that the effort to restore universal brotherhood is not in vain. At the same time he warns us that this love is not to be sought after only in great things but also, and above all, in the ordinary circumstances of life. He suffered death for us all, sinners as we are, and by his example he teaches us that we also have to carry that cross which the flesh and the world lay on the shoulders of those who strive for peace and justice. Constituted as the Lord by his resurrection, Christ, to whom all power in heaven and on earth has been given, is still at work in the hearts of men through the power of his Spirit. Not only does he awaken in them a longing for the world to come, but by that very fact he also inspires, purifies and strengthens those generous desires by which the human family seeks to make its own life more human and to achieve the same goal for the whole world. The gifts of the Spirit are manifold. He calls some to bear open witness to the longing for a dwelling place in heaven, and to keep this fresh in the minds of all mankind; he calls others to dedicate themselves to the service of men here on earth, preparing by this ministry the material for the kingdom of heaven. Yet he makes all free, so that, by denying their love of self and taking up all earth’s resources into the life of man, all may reach out to the future, when humanity itself will become an offering acceptable to God. RESPONSORY 2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 4:25 Christ died for all, — that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died and rose again for their sake. He was put to death for our sins, and raised to life to restore us to God’s friendship. — That those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died and rose again for their sake. CONCLUDING PRAYER May the working of your mercy, O Lord, we pray, direct our hearts aright, for without your grace we cannot find favor in your sight. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

Mar 22, Invitatory for Sunday of the 5th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Antiphon: 1043 Psalm: 1044 Christian Prayer: Antiphon: 687 Psalm: 688 Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Psalm 95 Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. The Lord is God, the mighty God, the great king over all the gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well He made the sea; it belongs to him, the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Come, then, let us bow down and worship, bending the knee before the Lord, our maker, For he is our God and we are his people, the flock he shepherds. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness, when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me, Although they had seen all of my works. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Forty years I endured that generation. I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways. So I swore in my anger, “They shall not enter into my rest.” Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

Mar 22, Office of Readings for Sunday of the 5th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 338 Psalter: Sunday, Week I, 1081 Office of Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN God of mercy God of grace Hear our sad, repentant songs. O restore Thy suppliant race, Thou to whom our praise belongs! Deep regret for follies past, Talents wasted, time misspent; Hearts debased by worldly cares, Thankless for the blessings lent: Foolish fears and fond desires, Vain regrets for things as vain: Lips too seldom taught to praise, Oft to murmur and complain; These, and every secret fault, Filled with grief and shame, we own. Humbled at Thy feet we lie, Seeking pardon from Thy throne. 𝄞"God of Mercy God of Grace" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NTPDCYV/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk4] • Musical Score [https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/divineoffice/God_of_Mercy_God_of_Grace.pdf] • Title: God of Mercy God of Grace; Text: John Taylor; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 4 PSALMODY Ant. 1 See how the cross of the Lord stands revealed as the tree of life. Psalm 1 There are two ways a man may take They are happy who, putting all their trust in the cross, have plunged into the water of life (from an author of the second century). Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night. He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper. Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind. When the wicked are judged they shall not stand, nor find room among those who are just; for the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer Lord, you are the fullness of life of holiness and of joy. Fill our days and nights with the love of your wisdom, that we may bear fruit in the beauty of holiness, like a tree watered by running streams. Ant. See how the cross of the Lord stands revealed as the tree of life. Ant. 2 Here is a king of my own choosing who will rule on Mt. Zion. Psalm 2 The Messiah, king and conqueror The rulers of the earth joined forces to overthrow Jesus, your anointed Son (Acts 4:27). Why this tumult among nations, among peoples this useless murmuring? They arise, the kings of the earth, princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed. “Come let us break their fetters, come, let us cast off their yoke.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord is laughing them to scorn. Then he will speak in his anger, his rage will strike them with terror. “It is I who have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will announce the decree of the Lord: The Lord said to me: “You are my Son. It is I who have begotten you this day. Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations, put the ends of the earth in your possession. With a rod of iron you will break them, shatter them like a potter’s jar.” Now, O kings, understand, take warning, rulers of the earth; serve the Lord with awe and trembling, pay him your homage lest he be angry and you perish; for suddenly his anger will blaze. Blessed are they who put their trust in God. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer Lord God, you gave the peoples of the world as the inheritance of your only Son; you crowned him as king of Zion, your holy city, and gave him your Church to be his bride. As he proclaims the law of your eternal kingdom, may we serve him faithfully, and so share his royal power forever. Ant. Here is a king of my own choosing who will rule on Mt. Zion. Ant. 3 Lord, you are my protector; you have raised me up in glory. Psalm 3 I am safe in the Lord’s keeping Christ fell asleep in death, but he rose from the dead, for God was his deliverer (Saint Irenaeus). How many are my foes, O Lord! How many are rising up against me! How many are saying about me: “There is no help for him in God.” But you, Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, who lift up my head. I cry aloud to the Lord. He answers from his holy mountain. I lie down to rest and I sleep. I wake, for the Lord upholds me. I will not fear even thousands of people who are ranged on every side against me. Arise, Lord; save me, my God, you who strike all my foes on the mouth, you who break the teeth of the wicked! O Lord of salvation, bless your people! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer Lord God, you heard the cry of your Son when he was oppressed and saved him from the sleep of death. Arise, Lord, help your Church. Be its shield so that it may hold up its head and radiate the glory of the resurrection. Ant. Lord, you are my protector; you have raised me up in glory. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. If anyone obeys my teaching. — He will never die. READINGS First reading From the beginning of the letter to the Hebrews 1:1—2:4 The Son and heir of all things is exalted above the angels In times past, God spoke in fragmentary and varied ways to our fathers through the prophets; in this, the final age, he has spoken to us through his Son, whom he has made heir of all things and through whom he first created the universe. This Son is the reflection of the Father’s glory, the exact representation of the Father’s being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. To which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my son; today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son”? And again, when he leads his first-born into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers flaming fire”; but of the Son, “Your throne, O God, stands forever and ever; a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved justice and hated wickedness, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellow kings.” And, “Lord, of old you established the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; all of them will grow old like a garment. You will roll them up like a cloak, like a garment they will be changed But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” To which of the angels has God ever said, “Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation? In view of this, we must attend all the more to what we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels stood unchanged, and all transgression and disobedience received its due punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore a salvation as great as ours? Announced first by the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who had heard him. God then gave witness to it by signs, miracles, varied acts of power, and distribution of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as he willed. RESPONSORY Hebrews 1:3; 12:2 Christ Jesus, the radiance of the Father’s glory and the full expression of his being, upholds all things by the power of his word. He cleansed us from our sins, — and now he has taken his place in heaven, at the right hand of God in his majesty. Our faith rests on Jesus, who endured the cross for the sake of the joy that lay before him. — And now he has taken his place in heaven, at the right hand of God in his majesty. Second reading From an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop We keep the coming feast of the Lord through deeds, not words The Word who became all things for us is close to us, our Lord Jesus Christ who promises to remain with us always. He cries out, saying: See, I am with you all the days of this age. He is himself the shepherd, the high priest, the way and the door, and has become all things at once for us. In the same way, he has come among us as our feast and holy day as well. The blessed Apostle says of him who was awaited: Christ has been sacrificed as our Passover. It was Christ who shed his light on the psalmist as he prayed: You are my joy, deliver me from those surrounding me. True joy, genuine festival, means the casting out of wickedness. To achieve this one must live a life of perfect goodness and, in the serenity of the fear of God, practice contemplation in one’s heart. This was the way of the saints, who in their lifetime and at every stage of life rejoiced as at a feast. Blessed David, for example, not once but seven times rose at night to win God’s favor through prayer. The great Moses was full of joy as he sang God’s praises in hymns of victory for the defeat of Pharaoh and the oppressors of the Hebrew people. Others had hearts filled always with gladness as they performed their sacred duty of worship, like the great Samuel and the blessed Elijah. Because of their holy lives they gained freedom, and now keep festival in heaven. They rejoice after their pilgrimage in shadows, and now distinguish the reality from the promise. When we celebrate the feast in our own day, what path are we to take? As we draw near to this feast, who is to be our guide? Beloved, it must be none other than the one whom you will address with me as our Lord Jesus Christ. He says: I am the way. As blessed John tells us: it is Christ who takes away the sin of the world. It is he who purifies our souls, as the prophet Jeremiah says: Stand upon the ways; look and see which is the good path, and you will find in it the way of amendment for your souls. In former times the blood of goats and the ashes of a calf were sprinkled on those who were unclean, but they were able to purify only the body. Now through the grace of God’s Word everyone is made abundantly clean. If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed, even on this earth, to stand as it were on the threshold of the heavenly Jerusalem, and enjoy the contemplation of that everlasting feast, like the blessed apostles, who in following the Savior as their leader, showed, and still show, the way to obtain the same gift from God. They said: See, we have left all things and followed you. We too follow the Lord, and we keep his feast by deeds rather than by words. RESPONSORY Hebrews 6:20; John 1:29 For our sake, Jesus went before us into heaven, — and he has become like Melchizedek, a high priest for ever. This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. — And he has become like Melchizedek, a high priest for ever. CONCLUDING PRAYER By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God, may we walk eagerly in that same charity with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.